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Bike Theory Lesson: My Take On Seat Post Shims
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Today, I am going to talk about a somewhat obscure cycling accessory – seat post shims (SPSs). Those are cylindric adapters that wrap around your seat post so that it can fit in a seat tube that would otherwise be too wide. Without the shim, the seat collar won’t be…
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My Take On Glueless Tire Patches
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Today, I am going to talk about a topic concerning many rookies, namely glueless tire patches(or GTPs for short). The strongest quality of GTPs is that they can be applied to the damaged spot right away – a very attractive property because it eliminates the need to mess with rubber…
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The Weirdest BMX Mod I’ve Been Asked About
from Rookie’s Keyboard Hello, friends Yesterday, I got an unusual request in my mailbox. A reader wanted to know whether it’s possible to transform a BMX into a multi-speed bike. Honestly, I’ve never thought about this issue as I’ve always seen BMX and dirt jumpers as the epitome of single-speed bikes. But then I began…
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My Take On The BMX Handlebar Trend
from Rookie’s Keyboard Hello, friends I received an e-mail yesterday from a reader under the name Sam asking me about my take on the use of BMX handlebars in other disciplines such as mountain biking. It seems that the practice is becoming increasingly common. And today, I am going to follow up on the request…
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Bike History For Dummies: The Death of Bar-ends
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Today’s post is a bike history lesson that goes back in time to unveil a forgotten phenomenon in the biking industry. Do you know what it is? A little product known as bar-ends (BEs) Yes, that’s right. Short Summary Bar-ends are an iconic retro MTB accessory dating back to the…
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Don’t Do This With Campy Shifters
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends I hope your weekend is going well. Today, I am going to share with you a peculiarity of Campagnolo shifters that makes them a poor choice for non-Campy mech. To understand why, you have to become familiar with the operation of index shifters. Modern bicycle shifters have “index points. “This…
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The Symphony of The Rear Bicycle Hub
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends This Wednesday I decided to present to you in great detail what powers the distinct sound of a bicycle rear hub (BRH). Of course, I’m talking about the “buzzing” that comes from the rear wheel when costing. The Source The rear hub noise comes from an assembly of tiny, spring-loaded…
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One More Annoying Bike Problem Demystified
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Today, I will demystify one more bike issue that rookies face from time to time – a cassette/freewheel that wobbles. The Causes In most cases, that culprit is among the following: The Cassette/Freewheel Isn’t Secured This is the first technical issue that has to be ruled out as it carries…
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А Genius Bike Hack You’ve Never Heard Before
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends It’s time for the first post of the week. Today, I will reveal one of the most intelligent bike hacks I know. Let me ask you a question, first. Have you seen bicycles with tennis balls in the spokes? More often than those would be street models such as BMX…
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Braking…Pivot Points
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Today, we are going to talk about pivot points and bicycle brakes. There are two types – single pivot (SP) and dual pivot (DP) brakes. SP are caliper rim brakes equipped with brake arms rotating around one (shared) pivot point. You can find them on retro road bikes as well…